GINETTE RONDEAU

Mailbox to Heaven

Artist, Ginette Rondeau, is the creator of the “Mailbox to Heaven.” The idea started almost magically, when she was thinking of her late grandmother came across an old chest and thought: “how can I use this?” She bought it and began painting.

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Mailbox to Heaven was created as a way to send letters to the dearly departed. For nearly 20 years, Mailbox to Heaven has been displayed in art galleries and schools, in both public and private places, helping to create closure and celebrate life. With little pens and pads of papers set on a table, onlookers are motivated to sit and reflect, to write and remember. After writing their note, they can tie it with a ribbon and deposit it into the box.

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“No other living person will see the letter,” she guarantees. “It is a covenant between loved ones.

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“Our American culture is strong in so many areas, however, dealing with death is not one of them,” she said. “Americans often find it difficult to speak about death and are often at a loss as to how to say goodbye to someone dear to us.

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“I grew up in the Mexican culture, exposed to “Day of the Dead” (“Día de los Muertos”). The gift from my culture teaches me to continue to celebrate the spirit of the departed even though they have left our earth.”

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Now, she is turning it into a book with the hopes it will go international.

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“I wish by publishing Mailbox to Heaven that I can reach more people, and even more can benefit from it. My dream is to have Mailboxes to Heavens around the world.”

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Ginette Rondeau, an artist, photographer and writer who has curated Day of the Dead exhibits in the U.S. and México for more than 25 years. The recipient of a prestigious Méxican Government grant award, Ginette was a founding board member of the Downtown Arts Development Association (DADA), and currently a member of the Los Angeles Center of Photography, a Resident Artist at the Hive Gallery and the Arroyo Arts Collective in Los Angeles, CA.